The Electricity Program at the Career Center is a 2 year long course taught by Mr.Sanchez, who is a licensed electrician who has been teaching the class for over 20 years. This is my favorite class of all time, it keeps me engaged and wanting to learn more. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment once I finish and see all the work that I’ve done, unlike any other class I have taken. It makes me want to do more and more every time because of the confidence I get because I am working with electricity. It’s powerful.

The first year in Electricity 1 you learn: Basic Electrical Calculations, Wiring and Installing Plugs, Lights, and Switches, and bending Electrical Pipe aka Conduit. You will be taught all this through realistic hands on simulations. Throughout the year you will also be taking an online construction safety course, OSHA 10. Once completed, you will be awarded an OSHA 10 Construction Safety Card which will be important if you decide to go on with this career.

Electricity 2 will elaborate more on the basics taught in Electricity 1 and add in Fiber Optics and Solar Energy. You also prepare for the SkillsUSA competition. You compete against other electricians. It is so cool. If successfu,l you will have the chance to go to the National competition and win up to $1000+ worth of tools!  Throughout the year, you and your classmates are seen as the “In house Electricians” of the Career Center. You get to do work around the school maintaining and adding more electrical equipment, which is a good real life experience outside of the classroom.

Once you complete the 2 year course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion. This certificate is really important if you decide to move on with this career because a lot of companies look for previous experience. Throughout the year representatives from Electrical Schools and Companies visit the class to talk about the opportunities they have to offer and keep close ties in case you are looking for future opportunities.

The great part about this class is that it’s free, you get to learn a valuable skill which is in demand at no cost! This puts you farther ahead of everybody else, the sooner you start the better it gets. You can leave this class knowing that you will have a well paying stable job with a bright future ahead of you. This may not be the traditional college route, but it’s just as rewarding, I think even better. Employment is projected to grow over 10% in the coming years, meaning there will be a lot of opportunities out in the field. 

This class changed my life; it opened my eyes to a world I’ve never seen before, and this new world is filled with many opportunities. This is just the beginning.